Today I’m going to compare two cardio powerhouses.

My friend constantly berates me about how awesome Insanity is, and I just don’t fancy it. Am I missing out, or is the combination of HIIT and weights I’m doing enough?”

We all know that person who’s done a program like Insanity and suddenly proclaims it the best thing ever, right? Same as that guy in your office who recently discovered Crossfit.

Don’t even get me started on that guy.

But how effective is Insanity really?

Today I’ll answer questions including:

What type of long-term results should you expect from Insanity?

Is Insanity as good as high intensity interval training for fat loss?

Can you / should you use both HIIT and Insanity?

Which style of training do I use?

Olympic athlete Amanda Lightfoot during a recent bag workout.

Insanity vs HIIT – The Big Misunderstanding

To really look at Insanity vs HIIT, we need to address the elephant in the room first.

Many people believe Insanity actually is high intensity interval training.

It’s not.

And in order to discover the real winner of the Insanity vs HIIT battle, we must first understand them.

There is one key difference between the two forms of training, and once your body gets past the first few weeks – which will generally yield good results with either approach – this key difference becomes a crucial factor.

HIIT

HIIT – high intensity interval training – is a protocol which was first used by athletes three decades ago and, although it’s only become popular in the mainstream over the last half a decade, there are several key studies which document both how and why it works.

It revolves around manipulating your heart rate via short bursts of maximal activity exertion – jacking up your heart rate, before letting it return to a normal level, then jacking it back up again, and so on.

Anyone who has ever tried Insanity – or any copycat Insanity programs – will read the above statement about HIIT and tell you this is not the same thing.

Insanity

Insanity provides you with a form of training known as HISS – high intensity steady state.

It’s the elder, tougher brother of low intensity steady state cardio.

You know, the type of cardio you see those girls at your gym doing on a stationary bike while reading the latest celebrity magazine and telling Instagram they’re “going hard at the gym #fitspo”.

But despite being “related” to steady state cardio, HISS is far, far harder.

It’s like comparing a bird to a T-Rex.

HISS basically puts you at “full steam ahead” for the vast majority of your workout, with only brief periods of respite.

So as you can see, while they are both hard, they are certainly not the same thing.

Which Is Superior For Fat Loss?

High intensity interval training.

That’s right. I said it.

Don’t get me wrong, though – you can get results with either.

Both are hard and both will shed body fat effectively.

In fact the one common trait when looking at Insanity vs HIIT is that both methods will leave you feeling like your lungs want to blow up!

But – when done correctly – the afterburn created by high intensity interval training – HIIT – and high intensity resistance training – HIRT – provide your body with a platform superior to any other form of interval-based training.

You see, while you will lose weight with either method, it’s time to focus on that crucial factor which I mentioned earlier in today’s post.

The main reason many of the items in the fitness DVD market revolve around that 1-2 month time-frame is because they are based entirely on that initial shock factor which sees weight loss at the start of a tough new training plan.

And once the body adapts to it – just like any other program – results stagnate.

Your program needs to be progressive if it’s going to give you continually improving results – the concept of HIIT is built entirely upon that principle, and that’s why it yields better long-term results.

With Insanity in particular, I’ve also spoken to many individuals who have experienced knee issues due to the sheer number of high impact body weight exercises, such as squats, jump squats and explosive lunges.

This is usually as a result of somebody getting early results with the program, then re-running it over and over again in an attempt to experience the same success.

Running a HIIT sprint session with actor Adam Baroni.

Long-term Adaptations

We have three types of muscle fibers in our body and they play a very important role in the overall adaptations you can expect to make from either HIIT or HISS.

They are:

Type 1 – endurance.

Type 2a – capable of being either.

Type 2b – explosive.

Steady state cardio – regardless of intensity – tells our body that we need to create more Type 1 (slow-twitch) fibers to handle all the endurance work we are doing.

Regular interval-based work tells our body the opposite – we need to create more Type 2b (fast-twitch) fibers to handle the explosive workload we are faced with, such as sprints.

Whichever way those all-important Type 2a fibers go will be crucial to the type of physique you own.

Granted, some individuals are genetically gifted to look leaner of bigger than the norm, but this factor will make the big difference between looking “slim” lean and “athletic” lean for most.

Furthermore, it’s about fat loss, right? Not weight loss.

And your greatest ally in fighting body fat is building lean mass, so enhancing those Type 2 fibers is a great way to create further fat loss.

If you enjoyed this article on Insanity vs HIIT, give it a cheeky share using my Twitter or Facebook buttons. I really appreciate it!

For more training tips that work, jump on my free email newsletter at the bottom of today’s article. If you need a new workout program you can use my full library of training plans by becoming a free member of RussHowePTI.com.

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About Russ Howe PTI

Certified personal trainer and fitness writer featured in Men's Fitness, Women's Health, Personal Trainer magazine.
"There lies within you an iron will. One which will not bend, and will not break.
It is waiting for your attention."